I caught a new band this weekend. D.A. Smith and The Soul Injectors were at Quaker Steak and Lube in Pinellas Park Florida playing a benefit for the Pediatric Cancer Foundation… a worthy charity if there ever was one. This was their first gig… their coming out party, so to speak.
Now I went to see the band because a couple of good friends of mine were in it. I’ve known Dave Demus for over 15 years and seen him play in many bands. I think Dave finally found a keeper. And Joe Ferrara, on bass, owner of Stevie B’s Total Guitars, has been my music gear supplier for almost that long. Great guys and great musicians.
Now, D.A. Smith and Soul Injectors play soul music as you might expect by the name. And clearly the star of the show is lead singer, D.A. Smith. He’s perfect for the style of music an truly a world-class performer. All you “front-people” out there can take a lesson from this guy… he can sure hold the audiences attention and put on a great show. The proof is in the videos below.
And he sure can sing this type of music. Soul classics like Midnight Hour, 634-5789, Mustang Sally, Groove Me, Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag, won’t cut it unless the lead singer is up to the task. D.A. gets it done!
Now the band is new, and there are some rough edges. But when you figure this was their first gig, you gotta give them a pat on the back.
And I do admit the sound was not great. I couldn’t hear the guitars unless I got close to the stage. I do think the sound man was over his head. More credit to the band for still sounding good.
But again, I’ll let you decide.
